Measuring and dispensing cannister



April 13, 1965 G. A. ARO 3,173,080

MEASURING AND DISPENSING CANNISTER Filed Aug. 29, 1965 2 INVENTOR.

620F625 A. A20

United States Patent C REASURWG AND DEPENSING CANNISTER George A. Art),2925 18th Ave. N., Minneapolis, Minn. t ues Aug. 29, less, Ser. N0.395,272 3 illaims. (til. 222-430) This invention relates broadly todevices for measuring, and dispensing the contents of a receptacle; andmore particularly to a device for storing, measuring, and selectivelydispensing predetermined quantities or" powdered or granular materialscontained in said receptacle.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a measuring anddispensing device mounted within a storage receptacle of arbitrary sizewhereby predetermined quantities of powdered or granular materials mayselectively be dispensed from said receptacle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a measuring anddispensing device for selectively measuring and dispensing the powderedor granular contents of a stor age receptacle which comprises a minimumnumber of moving parts and which is relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a measuring anddispensing device for selectively dispensing therefrom, given,predetermined quantities of a powdered or granular material such asground coffee for discharge into a codec pot or; instant coifee or teadirectly into a cup.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing specification and claims when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, and inwhich drawing, like characters indicate like parts throughout theseveral views.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of thefollowing devices and combination of devices hereinafter described anddefined in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention as an entirety.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, some parts being brokenaway and sectioned.

PEG. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating one element of the dispensingapparatus partly in section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and

FF. 4 is a view of the measuring and dispensing apparatus some partsbeing sectioned and illustrating a moditied form of the invention havinga substantially rectangular configuration.

The numeral 5 is directed to the subject invention as an entirety andcomprises a cylindrical shaped receptacle 6 for retaining a quantity ofpowdered or granular material, not shown. This receptacle 6 is providedwith a cover member '7, a handle 8, and a restricted discharge portformed in the bottom portion thereof, as will presently appear.

it will be understood that while a round or cylindrical shapedreceptacle 6 is shown herein as being preferable to other shapes, it isalso possible to embody the instant invention in an oblong or squareshaped receptacle d as suggested by FIG. 4.

The measuring and dispensing means is removably disposed to facilitatecleaning in the bottom of the receptacle 6, but is, of course,stationary when the same is in use and is constructed and dimensioned toclosely fit the inside dimensions of sides of the receptaclesubstantially above the bottom portion thereof.

The said measuring and dispensing means comprises an upwardly andoutwardly diverging conical shell 9 having an outwardly and downwardlyprojecting peripheral flange 16, said flange being dimensioned to engagethe inner walls 11 of the receptacle 6 with a close working hli hsh"Tree fit whereby said measuring and dispensing means is held in astationary position.

Formed integral with the side portions of the conical shell 9 andcentrally disposed therebetween in stepped relation thereto, are aplurality of independent substantially oblong or cone shaped chambers12, three as shown, each of said chambers being dimensioned to retain,when filled, a given predetermined quantity of material to be dispensed.For example, said chambers may respectively contain the proper amount ofground coffee for three, five, and eight cups of brewed fiuid coffee.

The upper end portion of the chambers l2 are in con munication with theinterior of the receptacle 6 and are normally held closed by means of ahorizontally disposed, manually manipulated slide member 13 in the upperend portion of each of said chambers 12. These slide members work in agroove 14 formed in a boss 15 in the inner walls of each of saidchambers 12 and extend outwardly of the side wall portions of thereceptacle 6 in the form of a finger tab 1&5 affording means for manualmanipulation thereof.

The lower end portion of each of said chambers 12 is in commoncommunication with a central discharge port 27 formed in the bottomportion 13 of the receptacle 6. The said lower end portion of thesechambers 12 are also each normal y closed by a horizontally disposedslide member 19 which also works in a lower groove it formed in a lowerboss 21. These lower slide members 19 also project outwardly of thereceptacle 6 in the form of a finger tab 22 which afiords means tomanually manipulate said slide members for endwise movement to exposethe respective chambers to the discharge port 17.

In making use of the instant invention it will be assumed that the upperportion of the receptacle 6 is filled with a powdered or granularmaterial to be selectively dispensed. The upper slide members 13 are inclosed position thereby supporting the supply of material in the saidreceptacle. Depending upon the amount of material desired, the properupper slide member 33 is moved endwise to permit communication of theunderlying chamber 12 with the receptacle 6 and its contained material.The force of gravity will cause the said material to be projecteddownwardly into the open exposed chamber until the same is filled atwhich time the slide member 13 is closed thus leaving a correct measuredamount of material in said chamber.

This measured amount of material may now be dispensed into a coffee potor the like whereby the endwise movement of the lower correspondingslide member 1?, which is in communication with the common dischargeport 17, formed in the bottom 18 of the receptacle 6 thereby releasingthe measured quantity of material in the said chamber.

While there are herein disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe structure, process and product of the invention herein presented, itis possible to produce still other embodiments without departing fromthe inventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore,that only such limitations be imposed on the ap pended claims as arestated herein or required by the prior art.

What I claim is: l. A device for storing, measuring and selectivelydispensing liowable materials having in combination,

an upright receptacle constituting in its upper portion a storagechamber,

a measuring assembly having an upper peripheral edge fitting the innerperiphery of said receptacle having a stepped top and having an exteriorskirt extending from said upper end downwardly in converging fashion andterminating in a common discharge said measuringtassembly havinggenerally longitudinally extending dividing walls defining therebetweenand between said Walls and the peripheral wall of said assembly, aplurality of measuring compartments of different volumetric capacities,said walls varying in length to provide a stepped effect to the top ofthe said measuring compartments formed, plurality of slide closuremembers extending transversely of said receptacle and disposedrespectively near and normally covering the tops respectively of eachmeasuring compartment, said members extending through and beyond thewall of said receptacle to provide manipulating tabs arranged in steppedfashion relative -ot the bottom of said receptacle, the uppermost ofsaid tabs indicating the measuring compartment of greatest capacity,

a corresponding set of slide closure members disposed transverse-1y ofsaid receptacle and at substantially the same level near the bottomthereof and extending beyond said receptacle to provide manipulatingtabs for releasing selectively, measured flowable material disposed ineach of said measuring compartments,

and said measuring compartments all communicating at their lower endswith said substantially central discharge mouth.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 further character'- ized by,

there being at least two of said walls interposed transversely betweenopposing portions of said skirt and interconnected therewith with sealedeffect, said adjacent walls and the walls adjacent to said skirt havingsets of opposed guides for slidably receiving the respective slideclosure members and for maintaining substantially sealed relation withsaid respective slide closure members, then constituting the steppedlevel determining factors of said measuring compartments.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 wherein saidstepped measuringreceptacle is bodily removable from and closely fits the lower portionof said receptacle and wherein said slide closure members are all bodilyremovable from the cooperating respective walls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 220,609 10/79Hartley 222430 X 755,156 3/04 Moore 222-43O 943,854 12/09 Whitten et al;222450 X 2,515,735 7/50 'Saunders 222-430 LOUIS J. DEMBO,Primary'Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR STORING, MEASURING AND SELECTIVELY DISPENSING FLOWABLEMATERIALS HAVING IN COMBINATION, AN UPRIGHT RECEPTACLE CONSTITUTING INITS UPPER PORTION A STORAGE CHAMBER, A MEASURING ASSEMBLY HAVING ANUPPER PERIPHERAL EDGE FITTING THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID RECEPTACLEHAVING A STEPPING TOP AND HAVING AN EXTERIOR SKIRT EXTENDING FROM SAIDUPPER END DOWNWARDLY IN CONVERGING FASHION AND TERMINATING IN A COMMONDISCHARGE MOUTH DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALLY OF THE LOWER END OFSAID RECEPTACLE, SAID MEASURING ASSEMBLY HAVING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING DIVIDING WALLS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN AND BETWEEN SAID WALLSAND THE PERIPHERAL WALL OF SAID ASSEMBLY, A PLURALITY OF MEASURINGCOMPARTMENTS OF DIFFERENT VOLUMETRIC CAPACITIES, SAID WALLS VARYING INLENGTH TO PROVIDE A STEPPED EFFECT TO THE TOP OF THE SAID MEASURINGCOMPARTMENTS FORMED, A PLURALITY OF SLIDE CLOSURE MEMBERS EXTENDINGTRANSVERSELY OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND DISPOSED RESPECTIVELY NEAR ANDNORMALLY COVERING THE TOPS RESPECTIVELY OF EACH MEASURING COMPARTMENT,SAID MEMBERS EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND THE WALL OF SAID RECEPTACLE TOPROVIDE MANIPULATING TABS ARRANGED IN STEPPED FASHION RELATIVE TO THEBOTTOM OF SAID RECEPTACLE, THE UPPERMOST OF SAID TABS INDICATING THEMEASURING COMPARTMENT OF GREATEST CAPACITY, A CORRESPONDING SET OF SLIDECLOSURE MEMBERS DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND ATSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LEVEL NEAR THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND EXTENDINGBEYOND SAID RECEPTACLE TO PROVIDE MANIPUALTING TABS FOR RELEASINGSELECTIVELY, MEASURED FLOWABLE MATERIAL DISPOSED IN EACH OF SAIDMEASURING COMPARTMENTS, AND SAID MEASURING COMPARTMENTS ALLCOMMUNICATING AT THEIR LOWER ENDS WITH SAID SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRALDISCHARGE MOUTH.